


The Razor's Edge

by Ari (ShapeshifterAri)



Series: Healing the Dagger's Gashes [1]
Category: Ghost - Mystery Skulls (Music Video), Mystery Skulls (Band)
Genre: AU where Lewis doesn't go psycho, Angst with a Happy Ending, Cuddles, Implied Contemplation of Suicide, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, It's 2 AM and I'm writing this, Multi, Nightmares, piano playing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-11
Updated: 2015-06-11
Packaged: 2018-04-03 22:56:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4117792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShapeshifterAri/pseuds/Ari
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur is still plagued by nightmares. Luckily, he has his best friends and a grand piano to distract him from the pain brought by the past.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Razor's Edge

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so in the process of writing this I actually forgot that Lewis vanished in the animated music video. Whoops. XD But hey, what do you expect when I'm writing this at two in the freaking morning?
> 
> Also, the song Arthur sings is called "The Razor's Edge" by Digital Daggers. He's singing the piano version.
> 
> Enjoy! :)

Arthur jerked upright from his lucid nightmare, tears streaming silently down his face as he lifted his remaining arm to wipe at them furiously. It had been a year and a half since Lewis had died in that cursed cave. A year and a half since he had mur-

No. Stop it, Arthur. He said he forgave you. He knows you weren't in control.

It had been six months since the remaining living members of the Mystery Skulls had stumbled upon Lewis' mansion in the woods.

Arthur groaned quietly. It became apparent that sleep was going to evade him yet again. He picked up his prosthetic arm from its place on the bedside table. He then proceeded to connect it to its port, hissing in pain when the artificial and real nerves met.

With a sigh, the mechanic rose from his bed and silently meandered throughout the halls with no true destination in mind. His mind drifted back to the day they had reunited with Lewis after an entire year of thinking him gone.

It had started out as a normal day for Arthur, Vivi, and Mystery. They were heading home after a successful exorcism of a malevolent spirit. Vivi, wanting to get home faster, had suggested a shortcut through a forest. Arthur saw no immediate issues with the plan. After all, the road was paved and it was still daylight. There was no chance that anything bad would happen.

Then of course, the forest decided to go on for longer than the GPS had detected. Said GPS had then glitched. Then night fell.

It was shortly after the moon rose that the trees began to turn into huge bramble-like structures. The temperature in the van dropped sharply, putting the already frazzled Arthur on edge.

The Mystery Skulls van had shuddered twice before the engine shut off entirely, leaving them stranded in front of an odd and seemingly abandoned mansion.

Just their luck.

Vivi, of course, had been thrilled at a potential adventure. She had been halfway out of the van before she called out for Arthur to join her, Mystery already trotting alongside his owner after sending him a knowing glance filled with worry.

Arthur had half a mind to stay in the van. The preppy young woman hadn't known that the day before had been the one-year anniversary of Lewis's death. 

But Arthur had known.

His remaining arm of flesh and blood was limp in his lap, the twelve angry red scores on his wrist covered up by his wristband stinging at the reminder of his failure. Of his weakness.

Still, he had followed the bluenette into the mansion against his better judgement.

His wasn't too surprised by the singing magenta spooks and living knights and paintings. He was, however, scared out of his wits when he was separated from Vivi and Mystery. He hadn't been afraid for himself, per say. He was worried about what would happen to Vivi if he didn't make it out and she did.

Vivi didn't deserve that. She wouldn't be able to handle being alone with only Mystery for company.

But when the magenta skeleton emerged from its coffin, Arthur knew that he wasn't escaping with his life. The fiery pompadour atop the skeleton's skull only confirmed that for him.

It was Lewis.

Arthur looked up at him from the floor and smiled sadly. The mechanic's face was tired, there were bags under his eyes, and he was twenty pounds too light. His amber gaze was hollow when it locked onto the skeleton's rosy one. "Hey, Lewis."

Lewis had said nothing. He just lunged for the mechanic.

Arthur had not tried to run, or fight, or even scream. He simply closed his eyes and waited to be killed. In his mind, all he could think about was watching Lewis fall onto the rocky spires in the cave. He deserved this. It was only fair.

He opened an eye when he noticed Lewis hesitating. The ghost was looking at his flesh arm.

Arthur's heart dropped into his stomach. The twelve deep cuts he had made the day before had reopened when he lost his wristband in the mansion. They were bleeding profusely now.

The blonde moved to swap his remaining wristband to cover up the gashes in his skin.

Lewis pinned him down swiftly, thinking that he was going to try and escape. It was then that his gaze had landed on the false limb. He leaned backwards and demanded an answer for the prosthetic arm.

And so Arthur answered him, recounting everything that had happened over the past year. Lewis gradually released him as he spoke. When Arthur was done Lewis remained silent.

The mechanic had not anticipated the swift and tight hug the skeleton had bestowed upon him. Lewis' voice had shaken with relief when he spoke. "Thank God my best friend didn't kill me."

The magenta spirit had helped Arthur cover up the cuts on his wrist before they went off to find Vivi and Mystery. They revealed what had actually happened on that night in the cave and made amends.

Now, Lewis' mansion was their base of operations. The specter was able to maintain a human form often, and the Mystery Skulls was whole again.

Arthur snorted at the thought. No one in the group was whole. One of them was dead, one was a kitsune demon, one was an amnesiac who still got migraines, and one was a cyborg.

He was brought out of his musings when he realized what room he had entered.

Lewis, who was secretly a glutton for old architecture, had created a music room that was more along the lines of a ballroom. It housed all of their instruments from their hometown, as well as the ones they had purchased while travelling.

Arthur strode over to the grand piano at the far end of the room and sat down. He delicately poised his hands above the ivory and ebony keys. With a glance at his still-healing wrist, he knew what he was going to play.

His fingers gracefully flew across the piano keys as he began to quietly sing to himself.

_"I think I'm lost, I think I'm broken. It's not what I wanted. The verdict won't change."_

There was one scar for each month since Lewis had died. Each month he would renew them and add one more. That was his punishment for being weak.

_"I've gone off the razor's edge. Thought it would be different. Was treading the water, 'til it took me under."_

The first month was spent recovering from the loss of his arm. He had failed himself.

_"Quick retreating, so stuck in these feelings. I'm taking the beating. It won't let me go, go, go."_

The second was for mourning Lewis' death. He had failed his best friend.

_"I'm scared 'cause the past, keeps pulling me back, distorting the future."_

The third was for Vivi. He had constantly renewed that month's cut to remember what she could not. He had failed her.

_"It's holding me close, it loves me the most, it's tearing the sutures."_

The fourth month he had a panic attack every other day. He had failed himself miserably, and the pain had become one of the only constants in his life.

_"It won't let me heal, it tells us what's real. There is no truth there."_

The fifth was for Vivi again. She had gotten kicked out of her apartment because the bulk of her income had come from the mystery solving, which they had stopped so he could recover. He had failed her again.

_"My vision's gone black. I'm scared 'cause the past, keeps pulling me..."_

The six-month anniversary of Lewis' death was spent on the ledge of the cave where Lewis had drawn his last breath. Arthur had tried to avenge Lewis. He had failed him.

_"Seems I forgot, which way I was going. Echoed mistakes, repeating again."_

The seventh month was spent at Kingsmen Mechanics working with his Uncle Lance. He wasn't much help then. He constantly failed Lance.

_"Quick retreating, so stuck in these feelings. I'm taking the beating. It won't let me go, go, go."_

Month eight was possibly the easiest of them all. He had received Galahad from Uncle Lance. That had made the pain lessen a little. But he still felt like a failure to himself.

_"I'm scared 'cause the past, keeps pulling me back, distorting the future."_

The ninth Arthur had fallen into a severe depression. Everyone was worried about him. The bluenette who was living with him was terrified. He failed her.

_"It's holding me close, it loves me the most, it's tearing the sutures."_

It was at the ten-month mark when they had started solving mysteries again. It didn't feel right without his best friend there. He was reminded of Lewis constantly.

_"It won't let me heal, it tells us what's real. There is no truth there."_

Month eleven passed by rather smoothly, save for the one mental breakdown he had after a rough job. He failed himself yet again.

_"My vision's gone black. I'm scared 'cause the past, keeps pulling me..."_

Month twelve he felt terrible. He wanted nothing more than to disappear or die. He had tried to stay positive for everyone else. He failed all of them.

_"I'm scared 'cause the past, keeps pulling me back, distorting the future."_

Himself, Lewis, Vivi, himself again.

_"It's holding me close, it loves me the most, it's tearing the sutures."_

Vivi, Lewis, Lance, himself.

_"It won't let me heal, it tells us what's real. There is no truth there."_

Vivi, Lewis, himself, everyone.

_"My vision's gone black. I'm scared 'cause the past, keeps pulling me back..."_

He was a failure.

_"I'm scared 'cause the past, keeps pulling me..."_

A soft, slow round of applause from across the room had Arthur's head shooting up from his hunched position. His vision was blurry, and he realised that at some point during the song the tears had started flowing from his face. Despite his temporary vision impairment, he could tell that the one clapping was Lewis.

The ghost drifted over to him. "I didn't know that you can sing, Arthur. You're really..." His voice trailed off when he saw the tears.

"Arthur?"

The mechanic squeezed his eyes shut, shame and embarrassment flooding his brain. He should have closed the door. He probably woke up Vivi, which would explain why Lewis was here-

Two suit-covered arms wrapped around the blonde in a firm yet gentle hug. He was then lifted up to the ghost's chest, the golden heart that was Lewis' anchor beating softly in front of his face.

"You're not doing well, Arthur. Vivi woke up a while ago with a bad feeling and told me to look for you. And no, you did not wake her up, and even if you did I wouldn't be here to scold you. That would be her job."

Arthur's face went red when he realised that he had spoken his thoughts out loud. He let out a tiny squeak when Lewis left the room with Arthur still in his arms. Where was the ghost taking him?

"Just relax, buddy. Vivi's making tea for you two. We're going to go and relax in the living room, alright? She'll meet us there."

The mechanic sighed, closing his amber eyes and curling up against his best friend's chest. He was tired but couldn't sleep for fear of nightmares. His mechanical arm rose a bit to scratch at the healing scars on his other wrist absently.

"Arthur, pal, you gotta stop that. Seriously. It won't heal properly if you keep that up."

He muttered an apology as Lewis sat down on the couch in front of the television. He was a bit surprised when the skeleton refused to let him leave his lap.

"Not happening, mi amigo. Just try to relax, okay? It hurts us to see you in pain." The specter shifted his grip to resemble a tight hug once again. "We're here for you."

"Lewis is right, Arthur. We care about you."

The bluenette entered the room with a silver tray carrying a teapot and two cups. She placed one of the little ceramic containers into his hands and sat beside the boys. Her hand came up to rest gently against his knee.

Arthur shifted, embarrassed about the entire situation. He was doing better, they didn't need to worry-

"You're not doing better. Arthur, we're really worried. Lewis has had the dead beats checking on you occasionally throughout the nights. They've all been reporting the same three things: you're in a nightmare, you're recovering from a nightmare, or you're at your work bench. This isn't healthy." Vivi stated.

The blonde felt like he could have melted into the couch. He had spoken his thoughts out loud for the second time that night.

Vivi met his gaze over her pink half-moon glasses. "We're here for you. Let us help."

He lifted his robotic arm to scratch at the back of his head. There wasn't really anything that could be done. Sleeping medications left him with night terrors, and it was quite obvious that sleeping unaided wasn't working.

"Arthur, when was the last time you slept without a nightmare?" Mystery padded up to the trio with the question rolling off his tongue.

"Um, the last overnight mission we had, I think? At least, I think the nightmares were easier to handle."

The team mascot sat in front of them for a moment, his ruby eyes closed behind his saffron specs. "Is that the one where we couldn't get the hotel room?"

"Yeah."

"Well, it seems to me that the solution is quite obvious. All three of you slept in the back of the van together during that job."

Arthur's amber eyes flew open. "W-wh-what? Mystery, I-I don't-"

"Of course! Why didn't I think of that! Nice job, Mystery!"

Arthur just groaned. Vivi was on board with it. There was no turning back now.

Lewis squeezed him a little tighter with a chuckle. "What do you say, buddy? Up for a sleepover?"

The blonde, of course, had no actual say in the matter. As soon as Mystery had bid them goodnight his friends had carried him to the master bedroom. 

Lewis' coffin laid in the corner for when he decided to recharge his anchor and spectral influence. The bed sheets were a soothing violet color. The entire room appeared welcoming and inviting to Arthur.

Vivi somehow managed to remove his prosthetic arm when he was observing the room. She placed it on a bedside table along with her glasses and pulled the sheets back.

Lewis set his best friend on the floor carefully, guiding the hesitant man towards the bed with a gentle hand on his back.

It took a flurry of rustling sheets and a few changes in position before they found an arrangement that worked. Arthur was between his friends, Vivi against his back and Lewis draping a protective arm over both of them. Vivi wrapped her arm around the blonde's chest and nuzzled into his back.

"Goodnight, Arthur." The woman's voice behind him slurred as sleep overcame her tired body.

Lewis chuckled quietly at her antics. His soft gaze fell onto Arthur, who was looking down at himself with a small frown.

"Arthur. Stop that. I know that look all too well. I told you, there's no hard feelings. It wasn't you. I know that now. Please, don't beat yourself up over it anymore. You're not even trying to help yourself!" The ghost whispered, sorrow filling his tone.

The mechanic sighed quietly. "I'm just taking a while to recover. I didn't want to be a bother."

"Arthur, you're not able to be a bother. You're the sweetest guy I know. The only one who still forces the past to come back up is you, mi amigo. If you need anything from us, just let us know, okay?" His magenta eyes glowed in mild amusement. "That includes Vivi's 'cuddle time,' by the way. She is determined to make you feel better."

"I know. Thanks, Lewis. I... I think I just need a little more time. I'll let you know if I need anything."

"Good. Now, you mortals need sleep to survive. Goodnight, Arthur." His glowing orbs faded slowly to black.

Arthur gazed at Lewis' golden heart for a while longer, the rhythmic beating lulling him towards sleep. A little smile graced his pale face.

It would take time, effort, communication, and a whole lot of patience for him to recover. It wouldn't be a straight shot to healing. He knew that.

Despite all of that, Arthur knew that he and his friends would pull out alright.

With that last thought, he closed his eyes and slipped into a blissfully empty rest.


End file.
